


a wing of beauty is a joy forever

by thehibiscusthief



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, ML Secret Santa, Wing AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 06:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9111073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehibiscusthief/pseuds/thehibiscusthief
Summary: “Mama,” Adrien once asked, all curious green eyes and chubby wrists, “why are some people’s wings bigger than other people’s?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> loosely based on [this](http://inkskinned.com/post/138673319039/in-another-world-when-you-are-loved-you-grow)
> 
> for porcelainkittykat on tumblr

“Mama,” Adrien once asked, all curious green eyes and chubby wrists, “why are some people’s wings bigger than other people’s?”

His mother smiled down at him, fondly pulling him into her lap. She ran a gentle hand acorss his soft wings, folding her own around them. 

“You see, my dear, when someone is loved very much, their wings grow larger and become prettier. We must watch out for those with smaller wings and give them the love no one else is, okay?” she said. 

Adrien solemnly nodded, serious as a six year old can be.

)|(

For someone who was supposedly loved by so many, Adrien Agreste’s wings were awfully small.

They had been large, once--back when sunshine still streamed through the windows of his home, painting the walls golder than the ring sparkling on his Mama’s finger, making everything better and brighter and lovelier.

Then, his wings had been so large that his toddling steps faltered under the massive weight.

But one day, they’d begun to molt. First one feather, a brilliant pinion, drifting to the floor, then another, then scores of golden plumage drifting away to form a giant heap in the middle of his room. His feathers had once been bright enough to rival the sun, but now were dull as a stone.

His father was a distant memory, shut up in his office feverishly working to distract himself from his new reality as a widower.

)|(

Growing up, Adrien was relatively content with his small wings. After all, his best friend’s were about the same size. Chloe’s were just a little larger than his, bolstered only by the bond of their friendship.

Surely lots of people had small wings, right? It couldn’t be that bad if so many people were like him.

)|(

“Adrien, look at my wings!” Chloe had gushed one day. Adrien could only stand frozen in the doorway, shocked by the sight. They were huge! Small specks of glitter shone among the bright yellow feathers, catching the light as she twisted to show them off from every angle.

A smile spread across Adrien’s face. He reached a hand out to touch her wings, curious.

“Hey! Be careful!” Chloe snapped, jerking her wing out of his reach. Adrien stepped back, confused. “They’re not real! They’re fragile.”

“People can have fake wings?” Adrien asked. Now that he looked, he could see how the feathers didn’t move quite the way they should, how the glitter imitating the sheen of healthy wings was a tad too chunky.

“Of course! Papa had these made specially for me,” she said proudly.

“What’s wrong with your real ones?”

“They’re too small,” she sniffed. “Papa said they were too ugly for the mayor’s daughter.”

Adrien frowned.

“But mine are small too, and they’re perfectly fine….”

“Well, I’m sure they’re fine for you! The disheveled look is in right now. But the daughter of a politician should have the largest, most elegant wings. Everyone should love me!” she proclaimed, spreading her wings.

Ununsed to the larger wingspan, she got one wing stuck half unfurled and knocked over a lamp with the other.

That night, Adrien asked Nathalie about getting a pair of fake wings.

)|(

Through the years of modeling, his wings began to grow back, small yellow feathers appearing that were nowhere near as beautiful as his old ones but present all the same. The love of his screeching fans, superficial as it was, definitely had an effect.

His crew--by now, there was an entire staff dedicated to crafting fake wings for him--made sure to create an extra large pair for shows, displaying how loved, how cherished, how treasured the wonderful Adrien Agreste was.

His own wings may have been small, but those around him flourished. Though few truly loved him, the boy poured out love for all. His stylist sprouted a few more feathers every session. His chef’s gained a brighter lustre every time she slipped him a cookie. And his father?

Although he no longer had the love of his wife, his wings, a glossy ash blond, were wide enough that he could easily fill a room with his wingspan.

)|(

School was an odd experience for Adrien, hiding behind his fake wings.

For the most part, his classmates wings were average. Chloe, of course, had a massive pair of false wings as well, displaying all the love she’d not earned but thought she deserved.

No, the class as a whole wasn’t what was odd. Sure, Rose and Juleka’s were a sight to behold, a new glimmer rushing across the feathers each time they locked gazes, and Nino and Alya’s were puffing up day by day, marked by shy blushes and nervous palms touching.

What was odd--or rather, intriguing--were the absolutely magnificent wings belonging to Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

They were gorgeous, a blue so deep it looked more like black unless the light hit the gleaming plumage just right, with an almost iridescent sheen, and so large that even with them demurely folded she could barely fit through a door.

It was plain that she was deeply loved.

If he were to be honest, it took quite a bit of effort to quell any bitter envy sparked by the sight of her wings. Instead, he basked in her gentle smiles and shy stutters. He beamed, talked, complimented the designs she doodled in the margin of worksheets.

And so he made a friend.

)|(

“It’s odd, really,” Ladybug murmurmed one day. She swiung her feet back and forth, off the edge of the support beam. “My wings haven’t grown since becoming Ladybug.”

“What’s so odd about that, my Lady?” Chat asked, fiddling with his baton.

She hummed. “Not to be vain, but most of Paris loves me. Shouldn’t my wings show it?”

Chat glanced towards her glossy black wings. “Wings in the suit are different than wings out of the suit. It makes sense they wouldn’t change much.”

“Shouldn’t our civilian wings show it, though?” she asked, letting her wings fall open.

“Fame doesn’t have much of an effect on wings,” he said nonchalantly.

Ladybug’s eyes widened. “Really? But all the celebrities have such large wings…”

“Most of them are fake. What matters are close relationships, not distant admiration,” Chat said. He hoped she wouldn’t pry further; this could get dangerously close to a reveal.

“I…guess that makes sense,” she said thoughtfully. Chat wondered if she’d noticed the steady growth in both their wings as they’d grown to know each other.

He didn’t miss the curious glances she gave his own wings for the rest of patrol.

)|(

The alley was dim. Dim enough that Adrien couldn’t make out the letters on the posters stuck to the old brick walls, but not enough that he couldn’t make out the features of the girl standing in front of him.

“...Adrien?” 

He gulped.

“Hi, my Lady.”

)|(

The next morning, Adrien woke up to Nathalie pounding on his door.

“You’re going to be late for school, Adrien! Hurry up!” she called. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and gloomily made his way over to his door to assure her that yes, he was awake.

Odd, his back was kinda sore…

He twisted the knob and pulled open the door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Nathalie froze, her coffee slipping out of her hand and spilling across the floor.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned.

“Adrien--your wings!” she gasped.

What was she talking about? He glanced behind him-

-oh.

Adrien slowly opened his wings, watching the golden feathers gleam in the light. They were massive, easily thrice his former wingspan.

“...how?” he breathed, twisting around to better see.

“I, um, I’ll just leave you to get ready, then,” Nathalie stammered. She stumbled away, still staring at his wings with wide eyes.

)|(

Peering inside the classroom, Adrien wasn’t surprised to see Marinette there, early for once, almost vibrating in her seat. Her wings looked larger than they had been.

He stepped through the door, twisting to get his wings through. Once he was clear, she beckoned him over, urgency in her eyes.

Just as he reached his desk, she took a deep breath and flared her wings open.

Adrien gasped.

)|(

Many years later, Adrien sat on a sofa, nibbling at a cookie whilst reading a book. His wings were spread out over the back of the sofa, dangling off of the edges and trailing to the floor. Dishes clattered in the kitchen, punctuating muted laughter. His wife must be trying a new recipe with the kids. The curtains were open, wide beams of sunlight glancing off of his feathers and painting the pale pink walls with a soft golden glow.

Quiet footsteps pattered across the wooden floor. Adrien smiled, still keeping his eyes on his book. He knew he wouldn’t have to wait long.

The footsteps grew faster. Adrien’s smile grew wider.

Finally, the footsteps paused-

And a heavy weight plopped right onto his belly.

“Papa!”

“Oof!” Adrien gasped. His daughter grinned, settling into his lap. She waited for him to get his breath back, playing with the pages of his book.

“Papa,” she eventually asked, all clever bright eyes and messy black hair, “why are some people’s wings bigger than other people’s?”

Adrien smiled down at her, pulling her closer. He ran a gentle hand over her soft feathers.

“You see, when someone is loved very much…”

**Author's Note:**

> its been a while since i wrote for this fandom and damn these kids were hard to write  
> (i promise my other ml fics arent abandoned! its just been hard to sit down and write lately)
> 
> feel free to stop by my [tumblr](http://thehibiscusthief.tumblr.com)


End file.
